Driving Impressions

Both engines in the 2008 Hyundai Sonata engines incorporate some of the latest developments in variable timing of intake valves, achieving the dual benefits of lower emissions and higher fuel efficiency. Both engines are rated LEVII ULEV (Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle) by the Environmental Protection Agency. Additionally, the V6 uses a variable-length intake manifold to fatten the torque curve and make more zip available over a broader range of engine speeds. Fuel economy for the four-cylinder GLS with manual transmission, as estimated by the EPA's new test procedures designed to offer more realistic measurements, is 21 miles per gallon in the city and 31 mpg on the highway. City mileage with the automatic is the same, and highway economy slips only slightly, to 30 mpg. V6-powered Sonatas are rated 19/28 mpg City/Highway. Acceleration is brisk with the four-cylinder and brings a grin to the face with the V6. Hyundai officials say the V6 can accelerate from 0-60 miles per hour in about 7.5 seconds, with a top speed of 130 mph. Shifts are executed easily with the five-speed manual, and chirping the front tires is easy. The Shiftronic automatic transmission moves between gears smoothly, kicking down for passing with minimal hesitation. The automatic offered responsive performance while tackling the hills of San Francisco. In manual mode, the Shiftronic will upshift automatically when the engine bumps up against redline; it declines to downshift at all, leaving that to the driver's preferences. Steering is light and direct, with good on-center feel and directional stability. Brakes are mostly linear, and equipped with Electronic Brake-force Distribution, which improves stability and reduces stopping distances by balancing brake force on the fly between the front and rear tires. ABS allows the driver to maintain steering control under hard braking. Yet we noticed little of the interference we've found with some more complex EBD-equipped systems, and then only in the final stages of a stop. In terms of ride quality, the 17-inch wheel/tire combination makes its presence known on rough pavement, where the shorter sidewalls transmit more of the road's imperfections into the cabin. Wind and road noise is decently muted. The suspension layout looks good on paper, with double wishbones in front, multiple control links in back, and twin-tube gas-pressure shocks and stabilizer bars all around. The V6 boasts a larger front bar to handle the larger engine's weight. But how it all works together needs work. Against the competition, which has been refining its suspension technology for much longer than Hyundai, the Sonata feels less polished, less of a whole. Not that there's anything wrong or necessarily lacking in the ride and handling. It's just that some of the transitions, in direction and between types and qualities of pavement, aren't as smooth as the look and feel of the Sonata promises. The front end tucks in nicely as steering is cranked in, but the car doesn't track as surely as expected. Hyundai says the new tires on the 2008 SE improve steering response, but we haven't tried that combination. There's also the impression of poorly managed unsprung mass when the rear suspension crosses rough or broken pavement, which suggests the hard parts are a generation or two behind in the alloys used and how they're formed. Highway travel, even at high speeds, is smooth and unruffled, which is no small achievement.

Final Word

The 2008 Hyundai Sonata delivers full-size, family-style room and comfort with an EPA-estimated 30 mpg fuel economy from the available four-cylinder engine. Sonata comes close to the refinement of competitive models from Toyota, Nissan, and Ford, while offering more room for less money. NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent Tom Lankard filed this report from San Francisco; with nctd.com staff reports.